A London man is facing charges after a stolen car hit a London police cruiser.
According to police, a 2012 Ford Focus was parked at a fast-food restaurant on Oxford Street East on Wednesday. Around 2:40 p.m., a man got into the car and found the keys which had been left inside. He then drove away.
But the stolen vehicle was spotted by one of its owners, who was driving a work vehicle on Oxford neat Talbot Street. He called the other owner, who said she did not give anyone permission to drive the car. She then called police while the man followed the Focus and gave police updates about its location.
Officers tracked the stolen vehicle down to the area of Sanatorium Road and Riverside Drive.
"Officers attempted to stop the car at Commissioners Road West and Reynolds Road," police said in a news release issued Thursday. "The driver of the stolen vehicle attempted to drive around the cruiser and struck the front of one of the police vehicles. The stolen vehicle then struck the curb of the roadway and stopped. The driver was arrested."
Police said the officer wasn't hurt, but the cruiser suffered $15,000 in damages.
A 20-year-old London man is charged with theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, and failing to stop for police. He is to appear in court on August 25.